The Dickinson press., 1887-10-01
VIEWS OF Or. CYRUS EDSON,
CHIEF INSPECTOR OF FOOD.

What an Official of the New York Sami-
tary Bureau Writes About Keeping
Ones Self In First Glass Physical Con.
dition.
The causes of sunstroke, which attacks so
many persons during the summer, arc pro-
lonScd exposure to dry heat, nervous exhaus-
tion, breathing contaminated air aud n sud-
den rise i'll temperature after long spell of
dry heat. The Pagan notion that the stroke
cano through the eye is not true.
As these are tile causes the prevcntatives
would I've to keep ones self in tho most
healthy condition possible; to avoid all
kinds of excess, to bc loosely and lightly clad,
to keep the system up to its highest and best
pitch. Anything that would tend to lehili-
tate OF run down n man would put him in
condition to le sunstruck. Sunstroke, like
almost any other disease, selects the weak
and dcbilated. 1t is one of the factors that
operate to produce tho survival of tho fittest.
The history of people who have been sum
struck shows them to have been dchilitated
from disease, or to have been improperly
nourislcl persons whose systems were not
supplied with sufficient fuel toproperly main.
tain them. or whose digestive organs were
dcr.ngetl by the use of impure and unwhole-
some food.
Tho person who adultcrates food or sells
contaminated food aims deadly blow this
time of the year at the innocent consumer of
his wares
Breathing impure air is also factor that
may contribute to produce sunstroke People
who overtax their systems by too close atten-
tion to work or who use alcoholic beverages
too freely are "tempting Providence" Ihave
seen cases where the effect Of prolonged cx-
posnre to heat has first manifested itself i'll
the middle of the night. Where people have
lived i'll malarial atmosphere l have seen
cases of mild sunstroke followed by intermit-
tent fever
II is best to wear dark clothing i'll the sum-
mer. Tho black absorbs heat when it is in
the SUMS rays. On the other hand, the hent
will pass out through the black textures rap
lilly, so that the radiation Of the heat, from
the body would be much freer in II person
clothed in black than white. This statement
is forcibly Illustrated by the white coats of
animals who live i'll the Arctic regions
They are clothed that way for the reason
that the color holds the bodily heat and does
not allow it to radiate us rapidly as black
Thin flannel shirts are good for summer
wear and it is best to wear them next to tho
skin.
AS II preventive of sllnstroke there is
nothing like recreation. The meaning of
this word is very suggestive; it means to re-
creute, the creating anew of the system, so
to speak. We know that there arc certain
germs i'll the nir tint produce disease. Ex-
pcriments of the most interesting nature have
recently been conducted Ill Paris. 1t has
been noticed that when the air, taken at n
certain point at tho edge OF the city, was
from the country, it was practically free
from these little germs known rs bacteria,
hut when tlle air was taken from the city,
there were millions of germs found in it.
When persons arc taken with summer COM
plaint they arc benefited 10y change to a
purer atmosphere They are taken from
where the bacteria thrive to the back coun-
try where there are practically no bacteria.
The proper thing is to take recreation where
the air is pure People should make frequent
trips from the city an'l disinfect their systems
by breathing pure air Yachting is an ex-
cclcnt form of recreation Nothing is so
good for n man whose brain is ovcrworlied as
to go to the theatre. That is good mode of
recreation that will relieve brain congestion
and recrcate him better than any other thing,
but it should be avoided during summer OH
account of the heat. III hot weather we
should bnthe in the open air.
Too much perspration is bad; night sweats
lebilitatc. The accumulation OF heat in tho
system is like the accumulation of heat in
steam boiler. We know that water will
store UP heat under steam pressure until the
critical point is reached, when it suddenly
vaporizes and there is an explosion. 1t is the
samc with the system; the heat accumulates
until the critical point is reached and there is
an explosion in the shape Of sunstrokc.
People eat too much meat in summer. IL
Americans ate more vegetables and fruit dur
ing summer it would lie better for them.
Lemonade is n good drink for hot weather,
but taken in excess, it has scorbutc effect.
The first effect Of alcoholic drinks is to cause
n rse in temperature. The blood vessels Of
the brain are congested, tho heart is stinlu-
lated. The secondary effect is to lower tho .em-
perat,rc slightly. But you never find alcohol
used in moderation. People who use it liz
varai,ly use it to excess. When taken to ex-
cess, nothing could lc used that would pro-
duce sunstrole or heat exhaustion quicker.
Lager beer an'l nle open the pores and cause
perspiration. These drinks nre not as bad as
whisky, because alcohol is the deleteriouS i'll
gredicnt; md of course substances that coll
tain more OF it are more 'eletcrious
The best and the most wholesome drink is
cold water. 1t should be freely used, and
should be cooled by keeping it OIL the ice, and
not by putting ico i'll it. A few bottles placed
IN the refrigerator every morning would be
sufficient to supply the family during the day.
An excellent practice for those in cities
where soda water fountains arc numerous is
TO occasionally make use of that beverage.
Soda tl;cn when thirst calls for it is health
ful nn'l refreshing. The favored syrups sold
at these fountains should never be taken in hot
weather, rs they are very heatimg-Dr. Cyrus
Fhsnn in The Einch